I was at a home yesterday, and the mother-in-law met me there to show what the problems were and where they wanted added drip lines. She was going on and on about this and that, and then talked about how sprinklers were so easy to do, and she and her husband used to buy homes, fix them up, install sprinklers and landscaping, and resell them.

Yes there is a general perception that what we do is easy, and that anybody could do it. And they are right! Anybody can do it. But the smart ones do it CORRECTLY. Just as there are people in the IT business that can build a crappy website, or maintaining a network of computers at a business and they are constantly working on it because they don't fix the cause of the problem. There are crappy people in every industry, but there are enough dirty low lifes in ours that it makes the rest of us look bad.

Let's face it, we work in the dirt. Our clients work in the A/C wearing a tie with their own personal office and many times with a personal assistant. We are paid for our labor and they are paid for their brains. Until we are on the same level as them, they will not think of us as equals.

On the other hand, we can name the price for our skills. 2 BMW's in the driveway = 20% price bump.

Sadly I got into this business after college because I didnt want to be in a cubical wearing a tie. Now all I do is sit behind this computer, go on bids, and throw paper at my secertary. At least there is no one telling me what to do... but I do need to go on a diet. In my grunt days I was about 185 now for some reason the scale says 210??? werid.

I come from a family of all self made men, that all own different businesses. I have to say, that by far, this is the most unique business of them all. You litterally get out of irrigation what you put into it.

I heard that the temperature in Dallas this morning was 91. That is just ridiculous!
At least we're getting down to 78 here in the mornings and only topping out around 103 in the afternoon.
Luckily we have a job with a lot of trees on it today.